Listening to Mobile Calls: Maybe? Maybe Not
August 18, 2020
An online publication called Hitb.org has published “Hackers Can Eavesdrop on Mobile Calls with $7,000 Worth of Equipment.” Law enforcement and other government entities often pay more for equipment which performs similar functions. Maybe $7,000 is a bargain, assuming the technology works and does not lead to an immediate visit from government authorities.
According to the write up, you can listen to mobile calls using a method called “ReVoLTE”, a play on the LTE or long term evolution cellular technology. The article reports:
Now, researchers have demonstrated a weakness that allows attackers with modest resources to eavesdrop on calls. Their technique, dubbed ReVoLTE, uses a software-defined radio to pull the signal a carrier’s base station transmits to a phone of an attacker’s choosing, as long as the attacker is connected to the same cell tower (typically within a few hundred meters to few kilometers) and knows the phone number. Because of an error in the way many carriers implement VoLTE, the attack converts cryptographically scrambled data into unencrypted sound. The result is a threat to the privacy of a growing segment of cell phone users. The cost: about $7,000.
Ah, ha, a catch. One has to be a researcher, which implies access to low cost, highly motivated students eager to get an A. Also, the “researcher” words makes it clear that one cannot order the needed equipment with one click on Amazon’s ecommerce site.
How realistic is this $7,000 claim? DarkCyber thinks that a person interested in gaining access to mobile calls may want to stay in school. CalTech or Georgia Tech may be institutions to consider. Then after getting an appropriate degree, work for one of the specialized services firms developing software and hardware for law enforcement.
On the other hand, if you can build these devices in your bedroom, why not skip school and contact one of the enforcement agencies in the US or elsewhere. DarkCyber has a suggestion. Unlawful intercept can lead to some interesting learning experiences with government authorities. Too bad similar enforcement does not kick in for misleading headlines for articles which contain fluff. That sounds like I am pointing out flaws in Silicon Valley-style reporting. Okay, okay, I am.
Stephen E Arnold, August 18, 2020
Comments
One Response to “Listening to Mobile Calls: Maybe? Maybe Not”
-
- Subscribe to Beyond Search
Feature archive
News archive
-
Hello there! I c?uld have sworn ??ve been to
?our blog ?efore ?ut after g?ing throug? m?ny of the articles I realized ?t?s
ne? to me. Regar?less, ??m d?finitely pleased ? stumbled
?pon it and I?ll be bookmarking it and checking
back regularly!